how to write a winning application for the business charity awards
DESCRIPTION
This presentation has tips and advice by two winners and a judge on how to write a compelling application for the Business Charity Awards.TRANSCRIPT
CAF’s Third Sector Business Charity Awards Application Workshop
Agenda
1.45 – 1.55 Welcome
1.55 – 2.10 Presentation from Judy Foote, Senior Communications Manager, HSBC
2.10 – 2.25 Presentation from Isabelle Bryan, Projects Officer, The Co-operative Group
2.25 – 2.40 Presentation from Third Sector Business Charity Awards judge Klara Kozlov
2.40 – 2.50 Question and answer session
2.50 – 3.00 Break
3.00 – 3.25 Break-out session one
3.25 – 3.50 Break-out session two - the groups will swap
3.50 – 4.00 Wrap-up
Charities Aid FoundationWriting an award winning charity award application
Date: January 2013Prepared by: Judy Foote,Senior Communication Manager,Corporate Sustainability
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Business Charity AwardsCharity Partnership (Financial and Professional)
· HSBC Climate Partnership (2007-2011)
· Global environmental programme with
PURPOSE: To reduce the impact of climate change on people, forests, freshwater and cities
WWF The Climate GroupEarthwatch Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
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HSBC Climate PartnershipHow we achieved our goals
· Engaging HSBC employees in climate change
· Increasing the scientific understanding of the role of forests in climate change
· Securing and improving water resources
· Protecting the habitat of threatened species
· Accelerating the adaptation of low carbon policies
· Piloting clean tech solutions
· Influencing government environmental policy
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Stories from the HSBC Climate Partnership
HSBC Climate Champions conducting forest researchPicture Credit: Yifei Zhang
Trialling LED lights in Giuyang, ChinaPicture Credit: Jiri Rezac for The Climate Group
Satellite collects data on illegal deforestation in BrazilPicture Credit: Staffan Widstrand
Regulating soil erosion along the Panama CanalPicture Credit: Aaron O'Dea
Reducing pollution in Lake Araruama, BrazilPicture Credit: Damian Fleming WWF-UK
185 homes fuelled by pig slurry in Hubei, ChinaPicture Credit: Cheng Yong WWF-China
Sustainable irrigation in Uttar Pradesh, IndiaPicture Credit: Anshuman Atroley WWF-India
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Challenges for our entry
· Climate change is a difficult ‘sell’
· Wide range of objectives/achievements
· Making the entry cohesive
· Four partners – ensuring equal ‘airplay’
· Lots of visual material we couldn’t use on the application form
· The need to bring out the ‘people’ element
· Identify your challenges at the outset
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Getting the timing right…Why 2012?
· End of a 5-year partnership
· All partners had full opportunity to meet targets – and over achieve
· Lots of stories to tell
· Earlier would not do justice to the work
· Need buy in from all partners
· Ask – Is this the best time? Could there be a better time?
· Are there standalone aspects of the partnership? (eg employee engagement)
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Involving the charity partners
Essential!
· They may have more ‘award’ experience than you
· Need a view from all perspectives
Be mindful…
· Timetable the sign off process
· All partners must feel their work is showcased
· Team effort = team award
· Don’t over-engineer the process
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Hints and tips
MOTIVATION (Purpose)
INFORMATION
PROCESSING (Dialogue)· Supporting materials· Stats/MI
FEEDBACK
ACTION“I won’t act if Idon’t understand”
CONCLUSIONS“I Get It”
The Learning Cycle (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate)
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A few more hints and tips…
· Answer the question…do as you are asked
· Motivate the ‘audience’ to take action
· Engaging evidence/stories – people matter
· Imagine you are telling someone who knows nothing
· Ask the ‘so what?’ question
· If you’ve made a difference, prove it – statistics, examples
· Make every word work hard – be clear, be concise, use bullet points
· Avoid jargon, acronyms, clichés
· Ask someone who knows nothing to read and feedback
· Vital information MUST be on the entry form
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And finally…the experienceBenefits beyond the award itself
· Teamwork
· Recognition – internal and external
· Forces an evaluation of achievements
· Employee engagement
· Great for the charities – importance of corporate partnerships
Any questions please?
Isabelle Bryan, Projects Officer, The Co-operative Group
Background
The Co-operative runs the Charity of the Year (COTY) every two years to maximise charity fundraising and positively influence brand perception and communicate the Co-operative’s values.
In 2011 Mencap and ENABLE Scotland were COTY partners.
COTY: Background
Inspire Me Project
The Co-operative Ethical PlanInspiring Young People to change to change their world
The Ethical Plan: Inspiring the next generation
What is a walking Bus?Mencap and ENABLE Scotland
Work with people with a learning disability across the UK
The Programme : ‘Inspire Me’
The Inspire Programme
20,000 young people inspired to transform their own lives10,000 parents supportedProjects in communities across the UK
Co-operative Family of Businesses Involvement
Fundraising Activities
• Collected data of all activities linked to COTY throughout the year• Reviewed past award applications: learn from past successes and
failures• Key performance indicator• Used wording from Group published reports to convey the tone of
the business throughout the application• Conveyed what made the partnership significant compared to
others: - Depth of engagement- The variety of fundraising activities
• Communicated that the partnership was truly led by the employees • Impactful supporting material: ITV report of the closing celebration
Bringing COTY to life in the award application
Key successes
• £7million raised against a target of £5million• 25,000 young people with a learning disability to benefit • Mencap colleagues completed over 3,680 store visits. • The total opportunities to see in the media (OTS): 111,921,528• Colleagues became workshop volunteer or an Inspire Me mentor • 2 out of 3 colleagues and members participated in fundraising
activities• 46% of our customers - more likely to shop at The Co-operative• 63% of colleagues know more about the issues faced by young
people with a learning disability• 57% of colleagues are more confident in dealing with customers
with a Learning Disability
Tips and Advice
• Draft a list of Awards your company plans to apply for at the beginning of each year
• Establish a strong reporting mechanism at the beginning of the partnerships
• Set aside a budget for Monitoring and Evaluation, communications and promotions
• State facts and figures and be succinct• Get your charity partner to review and approve your application• Bring to life !
Writing a compelling award submissionKlara Kozlov
Senior Advisory Manager – Corporates
Charities Aid Foundation
Judges mindset
Mix of representatives with different viewpoints
Assume the judges know nothing about you or your work – tell your story clearly and simply
Impact matters
How points are accorded
Points are accorded in the following way: 60 points for answering questions relating to
your category 40 points for fulfilling judging criteria applied
to all categories
1. answered the questions
2. good fit
3. quality of the relationship
4. lasting benefits All requirements found at
www.businesscharityawards.com
Useful tips: Presentation
Language
Format
Create standout Concept to
outcome
Demonstrate
achievement
1: Answer the Qs: Demonstrate eligibility
Ensure that your entry makes clear that your organisation and your work is eligible:
Organisation: your company must have a UK presence – so say where/what UK presence you have
Your work: your entry must relate to work started, continued or concluded in calendar year 2012– so give start and (where appropriate) end dates for your work
1. Answer the Qs: Meet entry essentials
Ensure your entry meets all the essential requirements:
Word document Maximum 800 words First paragraph to be a summary of reasons why you should win an
award Answered all the questions in your category
1. Answer the Qs: Cover entry essentials
Think about which category is the best fit
It might not be the usual suspect!
Within answering the questions, ensure your entry covers all the essential content:
Specific to the category Addresses the category criteria and questions Provides the right amount of project details
2. Good fit: Define your objective and rationale
Explain the rationale for the relationship
Clearly set out what you wished to achieve from it
Thread from strategy to action to achievements
3. Quality of the relationship: Why and how it worked Explain why the relationship was important to both
parties
4. Lasting benefits: Impact and sustainability